He Sat Like a Soldier
by The Miller's Daughter
Summary: Maria Jones inherited the bar from her Grandfather and dealt with all different kinds of clientele on a daily basis. He was different... jaded. A man who'd seen far too much. One-shot (Post- Captain America: The Winder Soldier)


**He Sat Like a Soldier**

**(One-Shot)**

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><p>She noticed him there every night now. He always sat in the same spot, ordered the same drink and stared blankly at the empty seats beside him. On the third night he'd sat there she realized that he sat the same way her father did- like a soldier. Ram-rod straight, feet flat on the floor and his back always covered by the wall behind him.<p>

But It was his eyes- not the silver prosthetic arm, not the pale skin or the dark hair, but the haunted glint to his jaded eyes that just made her want to cry and scream at the same time. It was the look of a man who'd seen and committed far too many horrors in the course of war to reconcile himself with the man he used to be and the life he used to live.

"Same again?" She asked him softly. That was another thing she'd noticed about him. The drinks he consumed didn't affect him in the slightest- he remained as withdrawn and stoic as ever.

He nodded.

She retreated to the bar and fixed his drink with an ease that only came from years of practice. She placed the drink in front of him swiftly and collected the empty glass. Just as she had for the past few weeks. It had almost become a routine.

That night was different. For a second her eyes met his and she couldn't stop the words that tumbled from her lips.

"Where did you serve?" Her eyes widened as he realized what she'd asked. "Oh my god I am so sorry that was so ru-"

"Germany."

His voice was rough- as though he hadn't spoken for months- but still had an underlying richness and eloquence that made her wonder if he'd been a singer in a past life.

"I didn't know people still served there." She whispered. Later, she would understand that comment about Germany and wonder how on earth it was possible. Four generations of her family had served, her brother being the latest. "My Grandfather, he served there in the second war."

"What unit?"

"The hundred and seventh." She replied instantly.

The stoic mask cracked as his eyes widened- for once she had a clear read on him. He was genuinely shocked.

"He used to own this place-" she gestured around the bar with a proud smile. "Brought it in honor of his fallen Commandos."

"His fallen what?" The glass shattered in his hand embedding some of the shards into his palm. He didn't even flinch as he expertly pulled out each shard. she swore and leant over, dabbing at the drops of crimson. She quickly cleaned up the shards of glass and set a new drink in front of him.

"I apologize."

"It's fine." She smiled softly and took the seat opposite- the same seat her Grandfather had sat in so many years ago.

"Please continue." He whispered.

"There's a rather long story behind it actually." The man nodded and gestured for her to continue. "Have you ever heard of Captain America?"

He smirked. "Vaguely."

"In the middle of the War my Grandfather's Unit was captured behind the German lines- the only way to save them was to win the war." The man nodded his eyes bright as he listened. "The Captain's brother-in-arms was in the hundred and seventh, so he decided that if the Generals couldn't save their men- he would. He saved over a thousand men- my Grandfather included."

"He sounds like a great man." He whispered.

"From the stories Grandfather told me he was." She smiled. "The Howling Commandos was formed not long after in this very bar actually. A seven man combat unit that specialized in taking down HYDRA bases all across Europe." Her eyes narrowed slightly at his almost minuscule flinch. "It was during one of those missions that they lost their first member. Sergeant James Barnes was pronounced missing in action at the end of the war."

"Missing in action?" There was a lilt to his voice that she didn't recognize.

"His body was never found."

He nodded and rubbed his metal left arm. He seemed neither assured nor comforted by the action.

"So they were down to six."

She nodded. "They lost the Captain not long after. He dove a HYDRA plane into the ice to stop a bomb from hitting New York. The war ended a few days later."

"Oi! Jones! I know you own this place but c'mon, I can't do all the work around here!"

She turned towards the bar with a laugh. "Shove off Michaels I do most of your work anyway!"

The man behind the bar placed his hand over his heart theatrically. "You wound me Maria!"

"Oh sure I do Jimmy!" She- Maria laughed. She turned back to the jaded man at the table and smiled. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back to work."

He downed his drink and half smiled at her. "I'll take my leave." He paused. "Thank you Maria."

Maria grinned and watched as he dropped a few bills on the table and shoved his hands in his pocket. He was almost at the door when she realized something.

"Hey! Wait!" She caught his elbow- feeling him tense under her unexpected touch. "I didn't catch your name." She sighed.

For a moment his eyes sparkled and he grinned boyishly- but as soon as she blinked it was gone. Recognition struck her like a baseball bat to the stomach- she looked at his picture every day. How could she not when the photo of the grinning Howling Commandos hung like a badge of honor over the bar.

"Bucky." He smiled softly. "My name is Bucky."

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><p><strong>AN: Again, I hope you enjoyed this insight into Bucky.<strong>

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**-The Miller's Daughter**


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